The bike is home. I didn't ride for the commute today since thunderstorms were expected on and off all day. I'll probably do the same tomorrow for the same reason. I'll try and do all my errands and grocery run tonight and tomorrow, so I don't have any reason not to ride later in the week.

I have to remember to call Ghazi at Teiz and get a test suit so I can decide about the Powershell. That also means I have to get serious on my weight loss again. It's not cool how all my new gear fro last year is a little tight now since I quit smoking and gained back a lot of the weight I lost two years ago.

Other than the huge, fat rear tire, they look like a pretty solid dirtbike (but I honestly don't know what impact a huge rear tire would have on dirt - thoughts from those who spend more time on trails than I do?)

The big tires should help it stay upright in sand and mud, but will make it slower to turn. Not a big deal for that bike. It's really a chug-along-and-paddle-your-feet kind of bike. I rode a few of them last summer, but decided it wasn't worth it. People around here want too much money for them and the incredible lack of power makes it impractical for riding on any kind of main road.

That said, a woman I was riding with yesterday owns one and says she rides at 70 mph on Route 2 in Massachusetts and has taken in through all manner of trails. She got a KLX250S earlier this year, but she's held on to the TW200 for now.

Personally, I think the XT225 or XT250 are better choices unless the rider really needs that extra stability from the fat tires. They're more like a proper dirt bike, but still have the approachable seat height and bulletproof, air-cooled engine.

I didn't have my camera on for the early ledgy stuff and I didn't tighten down my camera completely after I removed it halfway through the day, leading to the watercolor effect. It still gets the point across, I think.

Needs a windshield, blacked-out grips and pegs, teardrop mirrors and some other enhancements but... that's my baby! All 1731cc of her!

Edit: also I subbed again just to join in on this thread. I find myself solo all the time as I don't have friends who ride (or they all used to ride but not any more). Would love to ride with folks in the area, especially as this ridiculous New England summer starts cooling down and giving way to Fall!

The G/S and ST were. Maybe some of the later R80R and R80RT models were, as well.

EDIT: I'm pretty sure the R80G/S was the first of the R80 bikes and it definitely had a SSSA. It's possible that they all have a SSSA. It's a bit confusing because the R90 and R100 models predated the R80. I've got a friend down the road with a mid-eightes R80RT, so I should go take a look. That or try to find reliable information on the Internet...

I wish there were more stock Cafe racer options but I think aside from the Thruxton and Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic there aren't a lot of choices.

If the Thruxton is anything to go on, there's good reason for that. Cafe racers are like uncomfortable versions of repli-racers with a teensy fraction of the performance. They may have more performance-inspired styling, but they're about as practical as choppers.

I wish there were more stock Cafe racer options but I think aside from the Thruxton and Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic there aren't a lot of choices.

If the Thruxton is anything to go on, there's good reason for that. Cafe racers are like uncomfortable versions of repli-racers with a teensy fraction of the performance. They may have more performance-inspired styling, but they're about as practical as choppers.

I would have to agree with you there. The seats generally look like a plank of plywood and incredibly uncomfortable. I tend to think of cafe racers more as art than a functional motorcycle.

Makes sense. I just love the looks. I like the looks of many sports bikes too but I'd never own a single one of them. Except the BMW S1000RR though the K1300S was a less agressive/more comfortable seating position.

Victory Hammers are some of the best looking American cruiser bikes in my opinion. More photos!

Agree. I much prefer their lines to those of Harleys.

I was checking out the Harley Fat Boy and the Night Rod when I saw the blacked-out Victory Hammer. Helloooooooo nurse. Hooked ever since. Saint, once I get some mods on there I'll take more pictures. For now it looks just like the stock photographs

I wish there were more stock Cafe racer options but I think aside from the Thruxton and Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic there aren't a lot of choices.

If the Thruxton is anything to go on, there's good reason for that. Cafe racers are like uncomfortable versions of repli-racers with a teensy fraction of the performance. They may have more performance-inspired styling, but they're about as practical as choppers.

I would have to agree with you there. The seats generally look like a plank of plywood and incredibly uncomfortable. I tend to think of cafe racers more as art than a functional motorcycle.

I'd love to try out that Beemer.

I rode a V7 a few weeks ago and not only was it underpowered, it felt like the engine was hard-mounted right to the footpegs. Above something around 4k rpm, the pegs vibrated so badly that it felt like my feet were being electrocuted. I'm not a fan of things that are actively uncomfortable Also, a brand new 750 making under 50 hp? The FUCK, M-G? My '81 Seca made 50 hp stock, and it was an air-cooled 550. I can't imagine that it's hard to make someplace in the neighborhood of 1 hp/10 cc from an air-cooled engine these days (unless you're Harley), so I really don't get that bike at all.

Well, unless you've recently read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and have suddenly decided you need a bike

I wish there were more stock Cafe racer options but I think aside from the Thruxton and Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic there aren't a lot of choices.

If the Thruxton is anything to go on, there's good reason for that. Cafe racers are like uncomfortable versions of repli-racers with a teensy fraction of the performance. They may have more performance-inspired styling, but they're about as practical as choppers.

I would have to agree with you there. The seats generally look like a plank of plywood and incredibly uncomfortable. I tend to think of cafe racers more as art than a functional motorcycle.

At the time they were mimicking the actual racing bikes. It'd be like somone trying to make a homemade GSXRRRR today. The industry just responded and started offering the race bikes to the general public.

Since we're all in the mood of posting pictures of cafe racers, here's one that's on sale nearby via CL. It's a 1982 Suzuki GS850 for $2900. Apparently the clip ons are hand made, in addition to the tail section.

I had volunteered to marshall at the Ascutney Hill Climb this weekend, but backed out of it to do the charity trail ride instead. I still think I made the right choice, but I did miss quite an event. One of my club's younger members set the second fastest overall motorcycle time in his first pavement event. Then Robbie Nigl destroyed everyone's times on an S1000RR. Kind of bugs me, since they told me I couldn't enter the Tiger because it had more than two cylinders. They also specifically said NO SPORTBIKES. I guess I haven't earned any special treatment.

I offroaded with a Honda Shadow. For about 8 seconds..... I'm kind of curious now to try it again on purpose. The displaced cervical disc in my neck needs to heal before I do anything precipitously stupid going forward though. At least since that's what the physiotherapist thinks it is I hope the MRI confirms it cause that seems pretty minor. If slow to heal.

I'm pretty sure somebody took a Triumph Scrambler up the Hunter Mountain hill climb at last fall's Color in the Catskills rally. The hill in question was a ski slope and most people were doing it on BMW GSs.